Silver Fern Farms and Empire Foods

Mumbai
2014 Sep III: Silver Fern Farms and Empire
Foods will introduce New Zealand lamb to India’s most discerning diners at the
world famous Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai next week.

The Taj Mahal Palace, where Silver Fern Farms’
lamb will first feature on menus, is a five star hotel well known for breaking
new ground. Built in 1903, it was the first hotel in India to have electricity,
a licensed bar and an air-conditioned dining room. It is notable for another
food first when in 1980 it was the first hotel to bring in Michelin-star chefs
to revolutionise menus.

Silver Fern Farms’ grass-fed premium quality
lamb will debut in front of chefs and select food and restaurant industry
guests in the Palace’s Crystal Room where maharajas dined and were entertained.

Silver Fern Farms’ New Zealand lamb is known to
be lean and juicy with a subtle sweetness. It is backed by the Silver Fern
Farms’ promise of ‘freshness, tenderness and great taste, naturally’.

Mumbai-based Empire Foods is well known as a
food importer which is first to source new foods from around the globe for
customers in India says Empire Foods Director Yogesh Grover.

“We are delighted to introduce the highest
quality foods to customers in India. When you dine at the country’s best
restaurants, like the palaces of the Taj Group, you expect the world’s best
lamb on menus, and the exceptional quality of Silver Fern Farms’ New Zealand
lamb is indisputable.”

Silver Fern Farms Chief Executive Keith Cooper
says Silver Fern Farms’ lamb is perfectly suited to the Taj Mahal Palace’s
restaurant menu as it is a premium food, naturally raised by expert farmers on
the open green pastures of one of the safest meat producing countries in the
world. Mr Cooper says the company is looking forward to working with Empire
Foods to reach foodservice customers in India.

“Empire Foods are an excellent partner for us
in the India market because they understand how to meet the high quality
service expectations of five star hotels and fine dining restaurant customers.”

New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India
Grahame Morton, is pleased to see companies build new partnerships that grows
trade between New Zealand and India.

“I’m pleased that more of New Zealand’s top
quality lamb is going to be available on fine restaurant menus in India. New
Zealand and India governments negotiated an arrangement in late 2012 that has
allowed regular sheep and goat meat exports to commence. I see high quality New Zealand agricultural
products adding to the options that top Indian businesses and chefs have to
provide superb dining experiences for their discerning Indian and foreign
consumers.”

Yogesh Grover says Empire Foods has a very well
established, well managed distribution chain across the country. “By and far,
we are one of the very few companies in India which has well established cold
chain for frozen food products spread throughout the country both for
institutional and retail products.”

“Our products are sold throughout the length
and breadth of India. Our distributors’ network is spread from Jammu &
Kashmir in North to Kerala in South and from Assam and Calcutta in East to
Mumbai in West, where our head office is located.” Grover added.

The Taj Group is a key customer of Empire
Foods. Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces comprises 93 hotels in 55 locations
across India with an additional 16 international hotels in the Maldives,
Malaysia, Australia, UK, USA, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Africa and the Middle East.